MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

Abstract

A motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism that consists essentially of a rotary latch and a pawl. The lock also comprises a pawl spring for action on the pawl in the closing direction. The motor vehicle door lock further comprises an actuating lever for opening the locking mechanism. The actuating lever is additionally designed to act upon the pawl spring.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door latch, comprising a locking mechanism substantially consisting of a catch and a pawl, further comprising a pawl spring for acting on the pawl in the closing direction, and comprising an actuation lever for opening the locking mechanism, the actuation lever additionally being designed for acting on a pawl spring and being equipped with a projection that interacts with the pawl spring, characterized in that the projection acts on the pawl spring only when the pawl has been raised from the engagement thereof in the catch.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, wherein the pawl spring is designed as a leg spring.

5. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 4, wherein one leg of the leg spring is designed as a pawl arm and the other leg of the leg spring is designed as a fastening arm.

6. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 4, wherein the projection is oriented so as to be substantially perpendicular with respect to an actuation lever plane.

7. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuation lever (8) is designed as an outer actuation lever/inner actuation lever.

8. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuation lever acts on the locking mechanism by interposition of a tripping lever.

9. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuation lever is designed so as to be pivotable substantially in parallel with a locking mechanism plane.

10. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuation lever overlaps the pawl spring at least in part.

Description

[0022] In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to a drawing showing merely one exemplary embodiment. The single FIGURE schematically shows a motor vehicle door latch according to the invention, reduced to the central components.

[0023] The single figure shows a motor vehicle door latch. The motor vehicle door latch comprises a locking mechanism 1, 2 consisting of a catch 1 and a pawl 2. The catch 1 can be pivoted about a shaft 3. The pawl 2 can also be pivoted about a shaft 4. The two shafts 3, 4 are provided and defined by a bearing pin in each case that is anchored in an indicated latch case 5 and is intended for rotatable mounting.

[0024] The latch case 5 is closed off and covered from environmental influences by means of a latch cover (not shown). The fundamental structure also includes a tripping lever 6 which is mounted so as to be coaxial with respect to the pawl 2. The tripping lever 6 interacts with the pawl 2 via a chamfer 7. Furthermore, an actuation lever 8 is also formed which, in the exemplary embodiment and in a non-limiting manner, is designed as an outer actuation lever. The actuation lever 8 can be pivoted about a shaft 9 which is in turn provided and defined by a bearing pin fixed in the latch case 5.

[0025] The catch 1 is provided with a catch spring which is not shown explicitly. The catch spring ensures that, after the pawl 2 has been raised, the catch 1 pivots about the shaft 3 thereof in the anticlockwise direction (indicated in the single figure by an arrow) and releases a locking bolt that was previously caught. In order to open the locking mechanism 1, 2, it is necessary to act on the actuation lever 8 such that said lever performs a clockwise movement (also indicated in the single figure) about the shaft 9 thereof. Since, in the exemplary embodiment, the actuation lever 8 is an outer actuation lever, said clockwise movement of the actuation lever 8 is initiated in that an outer door handle 10 works, in the corresponding manner, on the actuation lever 8 in question or the outer actuation lever, as is merely indicated in the single figure.

[0026] The clockwise movement of the actuation lever 8 or of the outer actuation lever results in a chamfer 11 on the actuation lever 8 coming into engagement with the tripping lever 6. As a result thereof, the tripping lever 6 is pivoted about the shaft 4 thereof in the anticlockwise direction indicated. Since the projection 7 of the tripping lever 6 can work on the pawl 2 or interacts therewith, the pawl 2 that is mounted so as to be coaxial with the tripping lever 6, about the common shaft 4, is also pivoted in the anticlockwise direction.

[0027] As a result, the pawl 2 is release from the indicated main ratchet on the catch 1. Thereupon, the catch 1 opens in a spring-loaded manner and moves, as described, in the anticlockwise direction about the shaft 3 thereof and, in the fully open state, releases a previously caught locking bolt (not explicitly shown). Since the motor vehicle door latch is attached in the inside of or on a motor vehicle door or hatch, while the locking bolt (not shown) is usually attached to the body, an associated motor vehicle door or hatch can subsequently be opened.

[0028] In the single figure, it can be seen that the chamfer 11 of the actuation lever 8 first acts on the tripping lever 6 and, as a result, raises the pawl 2 from the engagement thereof in the catch 1. The associated pivot movement of the actuation lever 8 in the clockwise direction about the shaft 9 results in a projection 12 that is additionally provided on the actuation lever 8 subsequently being able to interact with a pawl spring 13.

[0029] In the exemplary embodiment, the pawl spring 13 is designed as a leg spring. In fact, the pawl spring or leg spring 13 is made up of a pawl arm 13a as one leg and a fastening arm 13b as another leg. Both legs 13a, 13b are connected to a wound spring portion 13c which ensures that the pawl spring 13, as a whole, is fixed on the latch case 5. According to the exemplary embodiment, the two legs 13a, 13b of the leg spring, or the pawl arm 13a and the fastening arm 13b enclose, overall, an acute angle therebetween, which is in no way to be considered limiting.

[0030] In addition to the wound spring portion 13c, typically, and in addition or alternatively, the fastening arm 13b ensures that the leg spring or the pawl spring 13 is fixed on the latch case 5. In contrast, the pawl arm 13a is in abutment on an outer periphery of the pawl 2. Overall, the pawl spring 13 ensures action on the pawl 2 in the closing direction. The closing direction corresponds to a clockwise movement of the pawl 2 about the shaft 4 thereof, specifically such that the pawl 2 falls and also can fall either into the indicated main ratchet recess or into the additional pre-ratchet recess of the catch 1.

[0031] As already explained, the opening movement of the actuation lever 8 about the shaft 9 in the clockwise direction ensures that the chamfer 11 first acts on the tripping lever 6 and, as a result, the pawl 2 is raised from the engagement thereof in the catch 3. Subsequently, the projection 12 which is additionally provided and formed on the actuation lever 8 comes into engagement with the pawl arm 13a of the leg spring or pawl spring 13. A continued movement of the actuation lever 8 in the clockwise direction about the shaft 9 results in the projection 12 on the actuation lever 8 raising the pawl arm 13a of the leg spring or the pawl spring 13 from the abutment thereof on the outer periphery of the pawl 2. This prevents the pawl 2 from smashing back against the catch 1 in the event of the opening process initiated by the raising thereof from the catch 1.

[0032] In order to achieve this in detail, the projection 12 is oriented so as to be substantially perpendicular with respect to an actuation lever plane. The actuation lever plane is defined, in the example, by the areal extent of the actuation lever 8 and, in the present case, largely coincides with the drawing plane. Furthermore, the design is such that the actuation lever 8 is designed so as to be pivotable substantially in parallel with a locking mechanism plane. The locking mechanism plane spanned by the locking mechanism 1, 2 also coincides with the drawing plane or is oriented so as to be in parallel therewith.

[0033] Since the actuation lever 8 overlaps the pawl spring 13 at least in part, any malfunctions are prevented and the pawl spring 13 is at the same time arranged in a protected manner in the interior of the latch case 5. As soon as the actuation lever 8 has completed the opening process of the locking mechanism 1, 2 and for this purpose has moved, for example, against a stop (not sown in greater detail), the actuation lever 8 returns, generally in a spring-loaded manner, into the initial position thereof shown in the single figure. The outer door handle 10 being released by a user corresponds thereto.

[0034] As a result, the projection 12 also no longer acts on the pawl spring 13 and consequently the pawl arm 13a of the pawl spring 13 can return to be in abutment on the pawl 2. The catch 1 has now been pivoted into the open position thereof and has released the previously caught locking bolt. The pawl 2 is in abutment on the outer periphery of the catch 1, specifically in a region on either side of the two recesses indicated (main ratchet recess and pre-ratchet recess). Proceeding from this position, the locking mechanism 1, 2 can be transferred again into the closed and, in the figure, functional, position by means of the locking bolt that is inserted into the catch 1.